Russian president Vladimir Putin apparently still uses Microsoft’s outdated Windows XP operating system in his offices. According to images released by a press service, this includes both his machines. One at the Kremlin and one at his residence in Novo-Ogaryovo. Both the computers also have their wallpapers set to the Kremlin towers. Putin ironically sticking to Windows XP makes us wonder why the President would use an outdated OS that was last updated in April 2014.
Why is Putin still on Windows XP?
Mikhail Klimaryov, head of Russia’s independent Internet Protection Society confirmed that the President’s machines run on Windows XP. This was reported by Open Media, an independent Russian news portal. It is likely that Russia’s government regulations have held back Putin from upgrading to Windows 10. While US-based Microsoft insists that computers still on Windows XP are “vulnerable to security risks and viruses,” Windows 10 hasn’t been the most stable OS out there either.
Watch: How to force a software update
Recent Windows 10 updates have been facing an onslaught of bugs and public ridicule for quite some time now. These issues could be ‘problematic’ when you’re the President of Russia. The Russian government does allow machines to operate on Windows 10. However, these are only those computers that do not hold state secrets, something that would definitely not apple to Vladimir Putin’s case.
When asked about why Putin continues to use the outdated system, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on the matter.
Russia and the Internet
Russian capital Moscow is planning on gradually growing independent of Microsoft’s and Google’s services. The offices would then run on the Astra Linux Operating System.
It is debatable whether the president’s computers will be seriously vulnerable to data leaks. The ex-KGB officer barely uses the global service. He once even called the Internet a “CIA Project” and is the person who approved a law that enables Moscow to cut off the whole country from the world wide web.
